iPhone 6 With A Bigger Screen? Not As Easy As It Sounds

Updated on

Recently there have been plenty of rumors that the iPhone 6 and even the next iPad will have larger screens, but as ZDNet’s Adrian Kingsley-Hughes points out, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said earlier this year that they weren’t willing to trade performance quality for a bigger screen, so those theories about a phablet-sized iPhone 6 may be nothing more than a fantasy, at least for now.

iPhone 6 With A Bigger Screen? Not As Easy As It Sounds

A bigger iPhone 6 screen may cause ergonomics issues

One of the greatest issues Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will have to face with a larger iPhone 6 is the ergonomics of the device. One fan who tried out the beta of iOS 7 was convinced that it was ergonomically designed for a device with a bigger screen. The iPhone 5 has a 4-inch screen and is easy to use with a single thumb.

A 4.3-inch screen, as the latest rumors say, isn’t much bigger, so what would have to happen in order to make it ergonomically easy to operate with one thumb? Kingsley-Hughes said just .1 inch can make a huge difference in ergonomics. If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is so concerned with ergonomics, as it was with the iPhone 5, it makes the earlier rumors of a 4.7-inch or especially a 5.7-inch iPhone 6 seem even more ridiculous.

Other considerations for the iPhone 6

He also mentions some other areas where Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could face problems upgrading the screen size of the iPhone. Of course a bigger screen often means a higher price and possibly lower screen output for the company’s supply. He said so far, the prices of the iPhone have remained fairly stable between the different models, so the company may have to either raise the price or squeeze suppliers to keep the price point the same.

In terms of the supply chain, he says output is measured by the area of screens that are produced rather than the number of them. In other words, reports that a bigger screen is causing a delay in the iPhone 6 or 5S would make sense.

 

Leave a Comment